Heterogeneous distribution of nuclear triiodothyronine receptors in liver and preadipose cells as evidenced by their reactivity to antibodies against different protein products of erb A oncogenes

Polyclonal antibodies raised in rabbits against bacterially produced peptides in the C-terminal region of v-erb A or human c-erb A oncogenes recognize the nuclear triiodothyronine (T3) receptors in the T3-sensitive Ob 17 mouse preadipocyte cell line and not in mouse or rat liver. The results confirm the existence of different T3 receptors in different tissues. The results also suggest a heterogeneous receptor distribution within the preadipose cell line, with a predominance of c-erb A-type species. Antibodies raised against domain 149–227, but not against domain 245–325, impair T3 binding, suggesting a role for this domain in ligand binding.